Reply to: Been in same contract too long? Client asks you to leave

[beemarman]

You guys are light weight.

Where I work 2 guys have been contracting here for the past 12 and 15yrs.

On a rate of between £400 and £500 per day and all the overtime they can do.

[Pogle]

FIVE YEARS! - Christ I'm bored after 7 months!
One of the really great things about contracting is the constant change - OK sometimes it can be bad on the bench, but I love meeting new people and working on new systems - it keeps me sane (allegedly)

[Wanderer]

Client is still hiring contractors but asking all contractors who have completed 5 years to leave. Most of these culled contractors had outlasted the previous culls purely on merit.

We are told that we cannot reapply at the client for another 6 months.

I'd just take a 6 month holiday. Nice round the world trip would do it for me.

[BolshieBastard]

Have any of you ever come across this situation.

Client is still hiring contractors but asking all contractors who have completed 5 years to leave. Most of these culled contractors had outlasted the previous culls purely on merit.

We are told that we cannot reapply at the client for another 6 months. In the meatime client continues to hire contractors to replace us and spends our time to help transition. Some of these are contactors who had been culled earlier.

Bizarre??

What's the problem?

Contractors managed to avoid the last cull and have stayed for 5 years. Personally, I'd never stay that long at the same client. I got jittery after 3 and a half years and decided to walk.

Then you say contractors who were culled last time are coming back and taking the roles of those who've been in situ for 5 years. So? What's the problem?

Leave then you \ tehy may come back in 6 months.

I've heard my previous international banking client has introduced a 47 week on site rule (although this can always be bended).

Sorry, I just dont get the problem here!

[gingerjedi]

Have any of you ever come across this situation.

Client is still hiring contractors but asking all contractors who have completed 5 years to leave. Most of these culled contractors had outlasted the previous culls purely on merit.

We are told that we cannot reapply at the client for another 6 months. In the meatime client continues to hire contractors to replace us and spends our time to help transition. Some of these are contactors who had been culled earlier.

Bizarre??

Outrageous!

Now if you can just give me the name of the client, agency and daily rate I'll give them a piece of my mind.

[TFour]

Five years is poor management on the client's side - why wouldn't the contracting company opt for long-term, continuous work if it was offered it? At my current client co there are a number of contractors who have been there 3 years plus. Clientco can't/won't pay enough to attract the calibre of personnel it aspires to, so it gets too reliant on contractors.

[MaryPoppins]

I was under the impression the only time related issue is around expenses and the 2 year rule. This 51 week rule and you are permie and so on is purely client imposed and has no legal or financial reason whatsoever? It is either a policy or HR not understand contracting properly.

Yup. A lot of places have a rule around how long contractors can stay, mistakenly believing there will be financial consequences for them should contractors stay longer than this.

5 years is a bit OTT though. I'd be glad of a change.

[Bright Spark]

This is pretty common with large clients I've come across most have 46-52 Week rules
and some do have 2 or 5yr rules, main thing is to build a circle of clients and keep rotating
around them every 2-3yrs, getting repeat business from clients works very well for cv and
changing regularly makes you learn new things and develop new contacts.

[northernladuk]

5 years is extreme, most companies would do well to have a 2 year limit, even if it's just for the sake of the permies (althiought there are more reasons than that). The average permanent IT job lasts something like 2 years I think, so ideally companies should really be considering using contractors for less time than that....or hire permies.

I wouldn't want to stay in the same contract for 5 years to be honest. 2 years is my maximum and I've never exceeded that yet.

I was under the impression the only time related issue is around expenses and the 2 year rule. This 51 week rule and you are permie and so on is purely client imposed and has no legal or financial reason whatsoever? It is either a policy or HR not understand contracting properly.

[lukemg]

There are certain roles where this length of contract can be justified e.g. non-core roles, that are on the list to be outsourced or are dead-end, offices that will be closed but this is delayed, roles that it is essential they don't register as heacount, Super-guru roles you can't live without. BUT these are few and far between. Most roles lasting this length should probably be made perm. Then again - why do we care it keeps people in contract. Been cullled on 11-month and 51-week rules before, but been hired as replacement for these too, so at least it recycles a few contracts back into the market.
Seemed to be more of these long-term gigs around in the old days (I had one too) but not so much now.

[SuperZ]

5 years is extreme, most companies would do well to have a 2 year limit, even if it's just for the sake of the permies (althiought there are more reasons than that). The average permanent IT job lasts something like 2 years I think, so ideally companies should really be considering using contractors for less time than that....or hire permies.

I wouldn't want to stay in the same contract for 5 years to be honest. 2 years is my maximum and I've never exceeded that yet.

[northernladuk]

5 years? You're a permie! Claim some holiday.

And give the tax man some of his cash back lol

[d000hg]

5 years? You're a permie! Claim some holiday.

[northernladuk]

I wonder how many of these 5 year contractors have forgotton who they are and what they are and need to re-think their 2 year rule and IR35 positions.

5 years does seem a long time and doesn't seem unreasonable to have a cull if not just to refresh the skill base and attitudes and also to force managers in to not hiring a contractor for 5 years. To be honest if I found any permie staff hiring a contractor for 5 years it would be him AND the contractor looking for more work IMO.. That is just poor.

I think the 5 year guys have done well and ought to just leave and consider themselves incredibly lucky.. unfortunately I bet every penny I have most of them will moan like stink and kick up a fuss believing they should have more rights

[Scrag Meister]

Yep,

My current client has a 3 year policy on contractor stays then you either leave or go perm.

I'm just approaching that limit now and although i have been offered a policy breaking additional 6 months have decided to move anyway.

The client I am going to has a 2 year contractor policy, so its not unusual.